One of the main reasons why people go into business is indeed to be able to say that they have their financial fate in their very own hands. You’ll hear a lot about it not being about the money or merely chasing the money being the wrong reason to go into business, but truthfully speaking, it’s all about the money. …

If you think back to your twelve-year-old self, a stage in your life when childhood transitions into the precarious teen years, would the person you are today living the life you live today make your twelve-year-old self look forward to the future? The truth is that life has a way of consistently removing you from a situation you’d spent a very long time planning for and putting you in a completely different situation you could never have imagined, even in your wildest dreams. …

Working for yourself can be hard work, but the knowledge that you have created your own successful business can be incredibly rewarding. It can have many benefits, both personally and financially, which could be the reason why self-employment levels have increased in the UK from 3.8 million in 2008 to 4.6 million in 2015. …

In today’s economic climate, it’s not easy for those who are out of work to get back on the career ladder. Even those who are just starting out after getting a degree can find it increasingly difficult to get into the world of work. As time passes, it gets harder and harder to find work, and many find themselves frustrated with the amount of rejection letters and emails clogging up their inboxes or trash can at home.

Many people, of all ages are finding themselves feeling forced to move back home with their parents whilst they look for work, which can be upsetting when they may have previously owned their own home! It’s not all doom and gloom though, there are jobs out there and one day, with persistence you can nab yourself one. Here are some tips on how to go from job-less to employed!

1. Take the initiative yourself!

Don’t sit and wait for jobs to fall on your lap. Make sure you search every single day. You may not have a job but get up early, and start looking, after all the early bird catches the worm! Estimates show that almost 80% of jobs aren’t even advertised, so why not forward your CV to potential employers with a cover letter explaining that you are interested in any future vacancies that they may have.

Remember not to be too disheartened if you don’t get any response right away. Companies are often extremely busy and if they are interested they will get in touch. Make sure you follow them on social media platforms, this way you are likely to be one of the first to know if any job roles do go live.

2. Stand out from the crowd

Instead of just sending the same old letter to employers, try a few different tactics, for example, at Christmas start the email or letter wishing them a Happy Christmas, and telling them you are available in the new year if they should have any roles up for grabs.

3. Networking

Networking may seem like a bit of a daunting task, but it can be essential when searching for a job. Make sure you make relevant contacts in whatever industry you wish to work in, and more importantly make sure they remember you, and know what you are capable of!

4. Polish your profile/reputation

Employers now look at online reputations more than ever. Make sure that you clean up your social media sites, i.e. no half naked pictures of yourself from that Saturday night, no swearing and certainly no offensive language. This stuff is just common sense.

If employers search your name it is likely that your Twitter or Facebook page will come up. If you don’t want this, separate your personal and private pages. Have a professional Twitter page for public and a private one for just you and your friends to see.

5. BE POSITIVE

It is easier said than done to stay positive when you pay be suffering with low self-esteem due to lack of employment. There is help out there if you are feeling down. If you are struggling with debts, there is also plenty of people that can help with this.

Have you always wanted to be a car transporter or shipper? The hours are flexible and you pretty much get to be your own boss! There are two options for becoming one of the car transporter gang! You have two options; one is to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and become a certified truck driver who hauls more than one car at once, or get paid to drive on car a time between dealerships.

So deiced which one of these you are interested in. CDL involves long haul travelling, for the most part, and requires proper training and qualifications as well as certain certifications. Those who move single cars from one dealership to another, need nothing more than a standard licence and a clean driving licence.

Searching for the right a job

If you are looking for a job with either of these qualifications, then contact your local car dealerships, to see if they have any work at the moment. They often hire on a part-time basis, with the potential to do extra hours when and if possible. This makes it a great job to have as something alongside another job role, to make some extra money and pay off some debts.

If you want to do the job as your full-time role, this can make it more of an earner for you. You will need to pay to train for your special licence though, information can be found at the National Transport LLC.

Having a diverse workplace is something many employers wish for in the modern working environment. In large cities like London or Liverpool, diversity is the norm, as the cities are made up of a rich culture of many different races, religions and sexes.

Workplaces are forever and continuously changing, with our workforce getting older and there are increasing numbers of women now than ever before, which is always a good thing. Gone are the days when it was just men who brought home the bacon.

Publisher Malcolm Forbes once said: “Diversity is the art of thinking independently together.”

Advantages

There are clear and maybe some unclear advantages of having a diverse workforce, an organisation obviously makes itself look better to clients and the outside world by having a mixture of all walks of life in their working environment, whether it be an office or a garage, it doesn’t matter!

A diverse environment with employees that are allowed to engage, get to know each other and even become friends encourages staff to stay and enjoy the environment that they work in.

This obviously means that the company will be in a better financial state, as they will have loyal staff members and not need to spend time and money on recruiting new staff members.

Across the globe

Globalization means that language, culture and religion are represented in customers and workers. This is great, if your staff are bilingual, this can come in handy when it comes to customer facing, or business deals.

Similarly, generation gaps (as mentioned earlier people are living longer, and retiring later), means that the generations are expanding and working side by side! Each of these will have their own views, ideas and working mind-sets, meaning the workplace will always be buzzing with a variety of opinions, ideas and the ability to see things from different peoples points of view.

To some-up, here are some of our top reasons why diversity in the workplace is ALWAYS a good thing:

Increased productivity: Diverse talents combined, with the common goal that the workplace has to always be a brilliant and positive thing. This then gets the creative juices flowing and everyone should enjoy their working environment, leading to better problem solving too!

Attract and retain talent: This adds the competitive edge to the company or organisation. As mentioned earlier, every company brings their own way of thinking, operating, problem solving and decision making.

Teamwork

Helps to build teams and enhances all round communication of the workforce: New attitudes and processes will profit a whole team! Applying the proper diversity laws, means that there will be no lawsuits for the company and therefore no massive debts for companies who need to go to court!

Increased market share and diverse customer base: With the ability to relate to people from various backgrounds, the companies status automatically enters the 21st century. As surprising as it may seem, some companies still haven’t got there yet, but we are hoping that they do soon!

Ignoring diversity all together is a bad move. If your business isn’t diverse enough, then try to join the many that are and embrace diversity. To see more information on diversity in the workplace cipd have all the info you will need.

What exactly does a debt collector do?

There are several different names for a debt collector, such as credit controllers and collection agents. These are the people that are responsible for collecting unpaid and late debt payments and can often be pretty unpopular with the general public! They can work for a consumer or for a large business and need to be clued up on legal rights and procedures during their work, or they can get into a lot of trouble.

As they collect debt from various types of people, they must be comfortable with interacting with the public, and to be able to conduct themselves in a professional manner. Going to people’s homes is normal as a debt collector and being friendly rather than aggressive is the best way to be.

It is also possible for debt collectors to work together with solicitors and bailiffs as well as issue court orders.

What is the job like?

The hours that a debt collector works can be varied and sometimes anti-social. They can work weekends and nights and working part-time is common in the industry. Although some of it is calling at people’s homes to collect debt, there is also office work and working from home, contacting people and working on paperwork. It is essential that a debt collector has a driving licence.

What are the core skills to become a debt collector?

Good verbal and written communication

Assertive nature

The ability to stay calm when under pressure

To be able to articulate points clearly

Have good but basic maths skills, in order to deal with matters of payment

To know all relevant legislation and laws

Basic IT skills

What is the career progression like?

There are around 20,000 people employed in debt collection in the UK, with plenty of opportunities to move your way up the ladder and build a real career from it. Those who want to progress often move into credit management and work in the broader market.

Many debt collectors work freelance and are self-employed, which obviously has it’s perks and it’s pitfalls, depending on how you look at it.

What kind of training courses are available?

There are several training courses that are available and out there with some taking longer to complete than others. Some courses provide a certificate of completion, whilst others are an NVQ type qualification. Some of these are free to enrol on and some students will be entitled to have their courses partially funded in order to help their work prospects.

Have you been effected by debt?

If you find yourself in debt and don’t want to have bailiffs knocking at your door, the best option is to seek professional help before the situation gets out of hand. A debt management company like Churchwood Finance can offer helpful advice on how to manage your debts and become debt free.

The Right Direction

The recession of 2008-2009 led to many people losing their jobs, companies, homes and more; however, it also resulted in a surge of self-employed workers, which compensated for nearly 40% of unemployment.Self employed can be anything from a “white van man”, freelance writers or web designers or people opening up their own online stores or beauty services. You might be surprised to learn that 1 in 7 workers are now self-employed, as the number of self employed workers has increased by 573,000 since the recession – and the employment trend is showing no signs of stopping any time soon.

Slow Train

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), rail journey times of 60 to 90 minutes are taking their toll on commuters; therefore, many employees are looking at home employment options, as a result – showing that UK citizens are becoming more entrepreneurial than ever before. Working from home is becoming increasingly easier, too, as companies are becoming more and more flexible, offering a variety of freelance opportunities.

Self Employment

The ONS also reported that there are now 395,000 more people in UK employment, with 273,000 working for firms or public sector organisations – which means that 150,000 are self employed. Home employment is therefore helping keep British citizens in employment, whilst also creating more businesses, preventing UK residents accumulating debt and increasing competition in the global market.